Mental Health Distress Affects Outcomes in Cancer Patients

A new survey shines a light on mental health issues and provides insights on additional education and resources that could help cancer patients.

More than 80% of oncologists frequently see mental health distress in their patients with cancer, and more than 90% say it has a significant impact on their health outcomes, according to a survey report published in the latest edition of Oncology Insights.

The findings were based on web-based surveys conducted in September, October, and November 2021. More than 240 oncologists from a mix of community- and hospital-based practices participated in the research.

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‘Despite the high prevalence of mental health concerns, only a third of the surveyed oncologists referred patients for mental health treatment.’

Anxiety disorders and depression were the types of mental health distress seen most frequently in cancer patients, but personality and addiction disorders were also mentioned.

“Recent research indicates that mental health generally has declined since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is particularly concerning for patients with cancer who are already at an increased risk for mental health distress,” said Heidi Hunter, President of Cardinal Health Specialty Solutions.

The survey also explored oncologists’ views on the effective use of palliative care for patients with advanced cancer.

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There was strong agreement among oncologists (68%) that early introduction of palliative care leads to better outcomes for patients with advanced cancer, but only 17% said they refer patients to palliative care at the time the metastatic disease is diagnosed.

The main barriers in delivering effective palliative care cited by survey participants were resistance from patients and caregivers (39%) and lack of staff dedicated to palliative care (28%).

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A majority of participants (74%) said better tools are needed to educate patients with advanced cancer about how palliative care can enhance their quality of life.

In addition, 45% said better data and predictive analytics are needed to help clinicians determine when to refer patients for palliative care.

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Source-Medindia